VICKSBURG, Miss. – The No. 17 ranked Parkland College Softball team went 1-1 on day one of the Hinds JUCO Classic, taking down Southwest Mississippi Community College 5-1 and losing to No. 8 Northwest Mississippi Community College on Friday, February 24th. The Cobras (8-2) extended their win streak to six games against the Bears (6-3), before losing an exciting one to the eighth-ranked Rangers (8-0). Sophomore Jaidi Davis and freshman Lexie Griffin scored in both games, and freshman Ellie Vetter earned her second win of the season on Friday.
Game 1: No. 17 Parkland College 5, Southwest Mississippi Community College 1
The Cobras took the lead early, as Bri Roloff (2-2, RBI, BB) drove in Lizzie Stiverson in the bottom of the 1st to give Parkland a 1-0 lead. With two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the 4th, catcher Lexie Griffin (1-3, RBI, R) hit an RBI single to extend the Cobra lead, and first baseman Jaidi Davis (0-1, RBI, R) stole home to put her team up 3-0 before Ryleigh Owens (2-3, RBI) lined a double into left field, driving in Griffin, and Parkland led the Lady Bears 4-0 heading into the 5th inning. Starting pitcher Ellie Vetter (5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 K) scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 5th, and SWMCC scored in the top of the 7th as the Cobras won 5-1 in their first game at the Hinds JUCO Classic.
Izzy Sheets (2.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 K) relieved Vetter, making her first appearance of the season in the 6th inning, and Emma Hardiek (1-1) hit a pinch-hit single in the win.
Game 2: No. 8 Northwest Mississippi Community College 1, No. 17 Parkland College 4
The Rangers led early, taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the 1st, and the Cobras trailed 4-0 heading into the bottom of the 2nd. Freshman Lexie Griffin cut the deficit with a 2-RBI double in the 2nd, driving in Bri Roloff (2-3, R) and Jaidi Davis (2-2, 2 R), and Griffin (2-3, 3 RBI, R) tied the game in the 4th, scoring on a passed ball to make the score 4-4. The game remained tied until NWMCC hit an RBI double in the top of the 7th, and Parkland couldn’t take advantage of a walk to open the inning, losing 5-4 to the undefeated Rangers.
Karley Yergler (4-2) threw 122 pitches in a complete game on Friday afternoon, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits and striking out nine batters in her second loss of the season.
Up next, the Cobras will continue to compete in the Hinds JUCO Classic in Vicksburg, Mississippi, tomorrow, February 25th. Parkland faces No. 7 Copiah-Lincoln Community College and East Mississippi Community College at 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM, respectively.
